Fuel Efficiency (Gas Mileage)

News about Fuel Efficiency (Gas Mileage), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Nov. 22, 2014

Ford announces Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy estimates for its new F-150 pickup, claiming better numbers than other full-size gasoline-power pickups on the United States market. MORE

Nov. 12, 2014

Ford Motor introduces its new aluminum F-150 pickup truck; automaker hopes that the truck will be a hit with consumers and be a step toward reaching new government fuel standards. MORE

Nov. 4, 2014

Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency say Hyundai and Kia, owned by the Hyundai Motor Group, will pay a combined $300 million for overstating their fuel-economy standards on 1.2 million cars; action is part of broader, more aggressive enforcement by federal regulators on auto industry and is largest-ever penalty for violation of Clean Air Act. MORE

Sep. 14, 2014

Fewer new cars are incurring gas-guzzler penalties from Environmental Protection Agency, despite increasingly challenging revisions to fuel-economy standards; trend is largely the result of technology developments by automakers, including hybrid powertrains, smaller turbocharged engines, advanced transmissions and lightweight structures. MORE

Aug. 3, 2014

Automakers, including BMW, are aggressively pursuing ways to improve mileage and fuel efficiency by harnessing engine heat; many companies, mindful of fierce competition, will not publicly discuss their research. MORE

Jun. 13, 2014

Ford Motor Company lowers fuel-economy ratings for some of its vehicles for second time in less than a year; will reduce mileage rating on six new models, most of them hybrids, and pay $125 to $1,050 to customers who own or lease about 200,000 of the cars in the United States. MORE

Feb. 19, 2014

Pres Obama orders development of tough new fuel efficiency standards for nation's fleet of heavy-duty trucks; aides say new regulations are part of what will be an increasingly muscular and unilateral campaign to tackle climate change through use of president's executive power. MORE

Oct. 24, 2013

United Airlines is testing latest innovation in airplane design, variation of its winglet design called a split scimitar, which attaches to tip of airplane wings and aims to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency; United estimates it will help save $200 million annually. MORE

Sep. 19, 2013

Federal appeals court upholds California's transportation fuel standards, which are designed to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fuel to 1990 levels by 2020. MORE

Sep. 11, 2013

Average mileage of new vehicles sold in United States reached high of 30.1 miles per gallon in August, as calculated for federal corporate average fuel economy standard; automakers are under pressure to reach government targets for fuel economy of 35.5 mpg for 2016 and 54.5 mpg by 2025. MORE

Aug. 17, 2013

Chevrolet's inexpensive mini Spark car is unlikely hit as many American buyers warm to car, even though automaker that has traditionally struggled to sell small vehicles; four-door Spark, made in South Korea, starts at $12,170 and get about 35 miles per gallon. MORE

Aug. 16, 2013

Environmental Protection Agency says it will update its labeling rules to resolve disparities among growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on the market; announces plans for changes after Ford Motor Company reports it is cutting miles-per-gallon rating on its C-Max hybrid, one of its popular hybrid models, to 43 miles per gallon. MORE

May. 5, 2013

Environmental Protection Agency has tucked proposal for fuel that is 30 percent ethanol, rather than standard 10 percent, inside plan to reduce sulfur in gasoline; hope is that 30 percent ethanol fuel could reduce emissions and lead to development of engines built to run efficiently on it. MORE

Apr. 3, 2013

News analysis notes that Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new regulations that could prolong use of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines in cars, delaying acceptance of alternative-fuel vehicles. MORE

Mar. 20, 2013

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column holds that energy costs and market-driven technological advances have led to large-scale reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States over last five years, making it surprising model for other countries; cites higher oil prices, better fuel efficiency and proliferation of natural gas as major causes. MORE

Feb. 17, 2013

Equipping automobiles with low-rolling-resistance tires can improve fuel efficiency as much as a mile or two per gallon over conventional all-season designs. MORE

Dec. 30, 2012

TrailerTail developed by ATDynamics is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag generated at rear of trailers and improve fuel economy of long-haul trucks. MORE

Nov. 3, 2012

Hyundai and Kia, both owned by Hyundai Motor Group, admit they overstated fuel economy of 900,000 vehicles sold in the United States over the last two years, roughly one-third of the vehicles sold during period; automakers say they will begin broad effort to reimburse consumers and restate mileage estimates for affected models, admission that follows investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency into consumer complaints of underperformance. MORE

Oct. 21, 2012

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column underlines importance of Obama administration's Race to the Top program and its raising of mileage standards for American-made car and truck fleets between now and 2025; questions why Pres Obama has neglected to tout the benefits of these two major accomplishments. MORE

Oct. 12, 2012

Automakers are developing high-strength lightweight steel, aluminum and carbon fiber to make cars lighter and meet federally mandated fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. MORE

Sep. 30, 2012

General Motors and Ford are expected to cooperate on developing new automatic transmissions, possibly with 10 speeds, designed for improved fuel economy MORE

Sep. 19, 2012

BMW, one of the most visible champions of battery power, has been hedging its bets and trying new ways to get more out of conventional gasoline and diesel motors. MORE

Sep. 12, 2012

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column on the new fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks announced by the Obama administration, which economists say will do less good for the environment than a straight tax on gasoline; insists fuel-efficient standards, while significant, come at a high cost and do not really change drivers' behavior in a helpful way. MORE

Sep. 5, 2012

Analysts say a wide range of fuel-efficient vehicles, particularly from Detroit automakers, are spurring demand and accelerating the industry's recovery, even in the face of higher gas prices at the pump; with more options for consumers, and rising gas prices being less of a factor, major automakers report that sales grew 19.9 percent in August; the industry sold 1.28 million vehicles in August, bringing the yearly total to 9.71 million. MORE

Sep. 1, 2012

Editorial welcomes new federal automobile efficiency standards as an important step on America's path to a lower-carbon and more-secure energy future; contends that the standards exemplify the fruits of successful public-private cooperation. MORE

Aug. 29, 2012

Obama administration issues new rules that require automakers to nearly double the average fuel economy of new cars and trucks by 2025, with an average of 54.5 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving; new standards increase the pressure on auto manufacturers to step up development of electrified vehicles as well improve the efficiency of current models; new rules are praised by environmentalists, but attacked by critics as too costly for consumers. MORE

Jul. 15, 2012

Lawsuit filed in California against Hyundai claims that advertising for the 2011-2012 Elantra boasts a 40 miles-per-gallon rating without sufficiently disclosing that this is just one of the car’s economy ratings. MORE

May. 20, 2012

College engineering programs and students are shifting their focus to designing vehicles that are more fuel-efficient, including hybrid and electric vehicles, in response to similar changes within the auto industry. MORE

Apr. 7, 2012

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column observes that the Chevy Volt has become the focus of conservative and Republican attacks against Pres Obama, despite the fact that there is no connection between the two; laments that such an ingenious design is being used as a political punching bag. MORE

Apr. 5, 2012

Automotive data suggests that, at current or foreseeable gas prices, it would take many years, in some cases more than a decade, for the fuel savings from hybrid and plug-in cars to make up for the cars’ high initial cost; gas would have to approach $8 a gallon before many of the cars could be expected to pay off in the six years an average person owns a car; added cost is limiting the ability of the vehicles to gain broader appeal. MORE

Feb. 17, 2012

Chrysler, in the midst of a financial turnaround, drops its request for $3.5 billion in federal loans intended to help develop more fuel-efficient vehicles. MORE

Feb. 12, 2012

Jan. 18, 2012

Newly-proposed standards that will require cars and trucks to have significantly higher fuel economy by 2025 are met with approval by nearly everyone involved in what has been a years-long process; National Automobile Dealers Association, however, expresses concern about rising consumer costs of fuel efficient automobiles. MORE

Dec. 4, 2011

Volkswagen says its Passat turbodiesel can cover 795 highway miles on a single tank, based on its 31 mpg city, 43 highway rating, but it has been observed to achieve as much as 50 mpg. MORE

Dec. 4, 2011

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column applauds Pres Obama for backing the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation for producing a deal with all the top United States-based automakers that will require annual mileage improvements starting in 2017; asserts that the deal will make a significant, long-term contribution to America's energy, environmental, health and national security agendas. MORE

Nov. 13, 2011

Two-liter engine available in the Mazda 3 is the center of the Skyactiv fuel efficiency system, but the company has also tweaked other components, like the transmission, to achieve better fuel economy. MORE

Oct. 16, 2011

Automakers, who are anticipating rising mileage standards in coming years, are working to reduce friction inside engines to improve fuel economy. MORE

Oct. 14, 2011

Improvements in engine technology are allowing drivers to select vehicles in virtually every market segment without compromising on fuel technology; automakers are implementing changes to meet stiff future mileage standards. MORE

Oct. 14, 2011

Federal target of 54.5 mpg by 2025, along with anticipated carbon dioxide emissions rules in Europe, has deluxe brands scrambling to increase fuel efficiency and design smaller vehicles. MORE

Sep. 13, 2011

Nascar, sport of gas-guzzling race cars, launches ambitious set of green initiatives to save money and attract green sponsors; efforts range from using new ethanol-based fuel to planting trees to offset carbon emissions. MORE

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The average mileage of new vehicles sold in the United States reached 30.1 miles per gallon in August, as calculated for the federal corporate average fuel economy standard, or CAFE. Automakers are under pressure to reach government targets for fuel economy for 2016 and 2025.

A conventional piston-driven internal-combustion engine functions by performing a cycle with four main steps: Air intake, air compression, combustion and exhaust. An engine is referred to as a “four-" or “two-stroke” model according to the number of movements the piston makes to perform one cycle. The Scuderi split-cycle engine and EcoMotor OPOC engine are both departures from the four-stroke engine most commonly found in automobiles. By revisiting and perfecting existing technologies, the companies say their motors provide more power, lower emissions and significantly better fuel efficiency.